Those of us who gathered at the 22nd general council in Seoul, as well as many other people around the globe, had no inkling that the world would change so quickly and so profoundly soon after. Of course, since 1985 certain changes had been under way, but nobody was in a position to predict the timing and the extent of the transformation which was in the making. However, in the autumn of 1989 and in the winter of 1990 a fundamental shift took place in the Soviet Union and those countries which until then had been under its influence. The Berlin wall was dismantled. In Prague the students demonstrated and initiated a process which led to the appointment of a new government. In Romania the ruler Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife were subjected to ad hoc trial and executed. Over a period of two years the Soviet bloc with its alliances (the Warsaw Pact and COMECON) went out of existence. The so-called "second world" ceased to exist. The bipolar world was replaced by a unipolar world, in which the driving force of globalization is the free-market economy.

Many factors - economic, political, military, cultural and social - have contributed to the creation of this new constellation and need to be cited if we want to understand more fully the profundity of recent changes. We should not underestimate new developments in technology. The advance of computerization and cybernetics changes the nature of industrialized society. The scientific and technological revolution of this century leads into the age of information. In the north we all in some way find ourselves on the "information highway".

There is a thrust towards a single encompassing world economy, which often puts into question the sovereignty of nation states. Until the demise of communism the globalization and expansion of markets was constrained. In the new situation capital is able to advance around the globe, seeking cheap raw materials and cheap labour and expanding the markets. Perhaps the greatest weakness of the system in central and eastern Europe (described by Lombardo-Radice as "state socialism") was that it embarked on competing with the west and did not offer a viable and comprehensive alternative of its own. Of course, many other serious failings could be cited as well. In spite of that, in some parts of the world a socialist vision has become a source of hope and inspiration for people living in poverty, misery and destitution.

Hand in hand with globalization, however, there is a tendency towards decentralization, regionalization, self-help instead of institutional help, and participatory democracy. Hierarchies are challenged by emerging networks. In recent years the idea of a civil society has been strengthened. As we approach the 21st century a new world of multiple options is in the making.

Looking back over the last decade we can say that humanity has certainly advanced in technology, science and overall sophistication. On the other hand, we cannot ignore the fact that in countries which for a long time were considered wealthy and prosperous the social situation is worsening. In 1996 in Germany the unemployment rate reached a post-second world war peak. On the positive side, the outstanding political events have been the first elections open to the black population in South Africa which marked the beginning of the post-apartheid development and, after several years of agony and desperation, the signing of the Dayton agreement and the end of the war in the former Yugoslavia. However, these positive moves should not make us forget the cries for justice and peace in Rwanda, Burundi, Liberia, Palestine, the Korean peninsula, Chiapas (Mexico) and in many other places around the world. The short-lived war in the Persian Gulf sent a disquieting signal that power might be concentrated more and more in the hands of those who have prevailed militarily. We are daily reminded that we live in a not-yet-redeemed world. Our world is comfortable for some, but it is far from being a peaceful and habitable place for all.

In recent years several major world conferences organized by the United Nations took place: Rio de Janeiro, Cairo, Vienna, Copenhagen and Beijing. We wish to highlight especially the women's conference in Beijing in 1995. The feminist movement which was restarted during the sixties represents a major cultural and social factor in this century. The emergence of a new type of theological discourse (feminist theology) is making an unique contribution in the field of religion and culture. It is fitting that in this period WARC has established a desk which is devoted to the full partnership of women and men in church and society.

The UN conference on environment and development (UNCED) or Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 made abundantly clear that the earth is in peril. An abyss of self-destruction lies before humankind. Many animal and plant species have become extinct. Pollution of water, soil and air is progressing. We witness an accelerating desertification and deforestation. Global warming and the shrinking of the rain forests lead to climate changes which may have far-reaching consequences for life on earth.

A parallel church meeting during the Rio summit concluded that the prevailing economic system exploits nature and peoples on a worldwide scale. People need to learn anew that God's covenant extends to all creatures. There is an eco-centric dimension of the Bible which invites us to a modest life-style and promotes reconciliation between sexes, races, cultures and peoples. The churches should support the UNCED declarations and conventions. Churches and others should take action to protect biodiversity. It is essential to respect the inherent integrity of all species, to defend the territorial rights of indigenous people and to control the life-threatening movement of water. It is necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the earth's forests. There are immediate tasks in which churches should participate.

In the situation of globalization people search with a new vigour for cultural, national and ethnic identity. This may be interpreted as a protest against the overriding law of the market, efficiency, profit-making and accumulation. In an era which covers our societies with a homogeneous culture of fast food, soft drinks, jeans and country music people assert themselves by struggling for a space in which one can dream and create new visions and utopia. Our contemporaries refuse to live in the present moment, without any reference to the past or to the future, as postmodern philosophy seems to suggest.

Especially in the southern hemisphere among those who sometimes are called "millennial losers" we find an expression of genuine culture, human pride, dignity and meaning. Those who have been excluded from abundance and who have been named "expendable" teach the rest of us what indigenous culture, deep reverence and profound respect for nature means. They may give us back a strong awareness of values and tolerance of other cultures and religions. They teach the affluent and money-worshipping world that life ultimately does not depend on material goods and gadgets, that life is conviviality, sharing with other human beings and respect for all creation.

Today the name for injustice is exclusion. And yet, from this point of view, excluded and exploited groups and nations are rich because they have been able to preserve the invaluable treasure of symbols and values. Their open communities of solidarity communicate wisdom and the hidden meaning of life. Those who have been robbed and conquered nonetheless are victorious. The poor of the earth may be the hope for the future of the many disoriented, alienated and uprooted people in the north.

Radical changes

In relation to the events in 1989-90 the question has been raised whether the ecumenical community had made an adequate assessment of the situation of Christians living in communist countries. Had the World Council of Churches (WCC) and other ecumenical organizations not become prey to the official propaganda of the ruling circles in the Soviet bloc? Articles and books have been written about this acute question. Seminars and consultations have been held. Accusations were made, and working hypotheses developed. The discussion is still going on and cannot be closed even preliminarily.

This question is asked also with regard to WARC and to its member churches in central and eastern Europe. Before long the same issue may become vital in relation to Cuba, China, Vietnam and North Korea. In any of these contexts, the burning question is whether the Christian community was faithfully witnessing to Jesus Christ, or whether it was partly or fully coopted and lost its prophetic and theological bearings. Was WARC, was the WCC, giving adequate support to the churches involved in a spiritual struggle or was the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva an accomplice to adaptation and accommodation? These questions will echo for some time yet. However, the efforts aimed at an honest, fair and truthful evaluation of the past period have to continue until a comprehensive history of Christian communities living under communist rule in the period following the second world war can be written.

It is a difficult matter which should be treated in repentance, self-examination, and an atmosphere of openness and mutuality. We have to search our hearts. A self-righteous and judgmental attitude on the part of Christians, whether in the east or in the west, is not helpful. We have to ask each other, and we have to ask ourselves, whether we have always been faithful in the situation where we have been planted.

God's presence and faithfulness cannot be exclusively claimed by one part of the world. No single church or region can monopolize God for itself, implying that God has forsaken the other region. In different situations and varying ideological contexts we are as close to God as we are distant from him. The former second world cannot be demonized and identified with "the evil empire" (Ronald Reagan's phrase) over against the beati possidentes who live in North America and western Europe. What ultimately matters is our alienation from God and how - in the west, east and south - we can overcome it and restore the communion with God and with each other to which we are called.

Christians in central and eastern Europe certainly do not want to speak about the "lost years". The situation needs to be examined from country to country. What was true in the Soviet Union was not always necessarily to be found in Poland and Hungary. The history of each country, its traditions, the religion of the people - all these factors played an important role. There were certain common features which were characteristic of the communist states, but there were great differences as well. The situation in the officially declared first atheist state of Albania was in sharp contrast to Poland where 90 per cent of the population pledged loyalty to the Roman Catholic Church.

Should the church have been more outspoken? It is necessary to take the overall political and ideological situation into consideration. Unfortunately, the war-time alliance did not last, and with Harry Truman's ascent to power the world soon found itself in the cold war. The possibility of a major world conflict could not be excluded, as manifested in the outbreak of the Korean war in 1950. The iron curtain which divided Europe into two antagonistic camps and the nuclear threat which was always present added to the complexity of the situation. Only against this background can we judge what was possible and effective in terms of the prophetic service of the Christian church.

From the perspective of Christian faith the post-war period in central and eastern Europe should not be considered as a deviation from the "normal" course of history. Only a person living in the ideological bondage of black-and-white thinking can assert that the entire period was wasted and nothing positive could be gained.

Let us mention just a few facts which in the long run may prove to have been a blessing. Christian churches and local parishes lived in a rather hostile environment without possessing any privilege or power. In the eyes of the public, however, it was that powerlessness which gave them a new authority, credibility and trustworthiness. Sociologically Christians were usually a minority. A decisive minority, however, can play an important role in a society. Christians learned that the Christian way of life is always a costly discipleship. If you are challenged and under pressure you need a fellowship of other believers.

The church was called to leave behind the safe haven of the Constantinian setup and to swim in cold waters for which nobody was spiritually and theologically prepared. There were "weak brothers and sisters" who needed a spiritual refuge in the local parish. On the other hand, there were strong ones who were ready for the challenge and wanted to be equipped for a prophetic and priestly ministry in the world. If freedom was suppressed and justice put into question, it was the Christian community which by the proclamation of the gospel kept the idea of God's freedom and righteousness alive.

This may be of paramount importance for the survival and renewal of civil society. Christian communities in central and eastern Europe witness to the fact that prophetic ministry through preaching and teaching is an important and relevant political action.

In the society at large there was often a lack of freedom, paternalism, authoritarianism, violation of human rights, intimidation and conformism. The overall atmosphere was far from participatory and democratic. The instrument of critique and self-critique had been neglected. Nobody is nostalgic for these negative phenomena. With deep respect we remember all the victims of repression and persecution in the name of socialist Realpolitik. The shadow of the crimes committed by communist regimes will stay with us for many years.

To some extent, the period after 1945 can be compared with the people of Israel wandering in the desert or with their being deported to Babylon. Through Jeremiah, God sent a message to the captives in Babylonian exile: Seek the peace of the city and in its peace (welfare) you will find your own welfare (Jer 29.7). Churches may be criticized for not playing a sufficiently prophetic role but the ultimate relevant question is whether the churches were spiritually strong and empowered "to seek the peace of the city". It may sound strange to western ears, but it needs to be said that even a communist regime was not totally beyond hope if it was embraced in intercessory prayer. Christian communities were given a chance to change the hostile environment from within. Only history can establish to what extent Christians fulfilled this mission, as their fellow Christians did much earlier in the time of the Roman empire.

The ecumenical situation

What is the situation of WARC in the ecumenical movement? After the creation of the WCC in 1948 the Alliance recognized the ecumenical movement as "a singularly significant fact about the Christian gospel" and as a sign of the work of the Holy Spirit. Reformed churches actively participated in ecumenical cooperation. It was felt that a confessional alliance was not a hindrance but on the contrary that it provides the opportunity and the means for furthering the ecumenical cause. A confessional alliance can embrace the effort to express the mission and unity of the universal gospel. The desire was expressed for "face to face talks with our fellow Christians in other churches". Concerning the structure of the church it is necessary to challenge every practice and profession which would put the order of the church above obedience of believers to the appeal of Jesus Christ, that they may all be one.

At its 17th general council in Princeton 1954 the Alliance affirmed that any Reformed agency such as the World Alliance is only an instrument in the service of ultimate purposes. Being Reformed is not an end in itself but is to serve the universal church of Jesus Christ. A desire was expressed for close cooperation with the WCC and the International Missionary Council, at that time still a separate body. Reformed churches were encouraged to enter into local and regional union with other churches for the sake of a better witness to Christ.

In discussions with other churches Reformed churches were encouraged to accept the Holy Scriptures as the only rule of faith and practice. One of the important roles of confessional organizations is to continue joint study and clarification but also to contribute to greater unanimity. Such organizations can represent and interpret Reformed position more forcefully in the ecumenical context than individual churches do. The Alliance is an instrument for the sustained study of church organization (polity), for working towards greater unity in this matter among Reformed churches, and making the Reformed position heard in ecumenical circles.

Some immediate tasks of the Alliance are mentioned: to help Reformed churches out of ecclesiastical isolation, to support and encourage churches, especially in situations of repression, to share discoveries in the life and work of the member churches, and to promote understanding and cooperation among them.

The resolution affirms the position of the previous 16th general council on a divided Reformed witness within a single country. "We urge our member churches both to begin, and where begun, to continue conversations with a view to closer fellowship and ultimate reunion".

Today, almost 50 years later, the ecumenical situation has changed. Some of the envisaged projects have materialized. A number of Orthodox churches have joined the WCC. A working relationship with the Roman Catholic Church has been established. Cooperation among the Christian world communions has been strengthened. A great number of bilateral contacts and dialogues have taken place resulting in a more profound knowledge of the different traditions which were estranged and separated from each other. Reformed churches and WARC participated in all these efforts in a pioneering way.

On the other hand, it seems that we witness to a certain decline of ecumenical enthusiasm. Some analysts assert that ecumenical forces seem to have exhausted themselves. Bilateral dialogues and doctrinal agreements did not bring about organic union of the churches. New divisions emerged among churches, often created by non-theological (socio-political, cultural) factors.

The era of charismatic ecumenical leaders changed into an era of institutionalization. To some extent this is natural. However, even this period comes to an end. New developments on the world scene and shrinking income from the churches call for the redefinition of ecumenical understanding and vision. This is a challenge to the WCC and all ecumenical organizations, global and regional. The ongoing discussion within the WCC on a common understanding and vision (CUV) is an attempt to respond to this challenge.

Without trying to prejudge the final outcome of this discussion we can say that apart from other shifts there will be a different relationship between the WCC, as the principal instrument of the ecumenical movement, and the Christian world communions. The present draft (November 1996) states as follows: "Another important relationship for the WCC is that which it has with those diverse bodies known generally as Christian world communions. Again, the council must work for relationships marked by natural accountability and reciprocity, and should look for ways to share tasks and resources with these ecumenical partners...."

The ecumenical movement is broader and larger than one particular organization. The WCC is a council of churches. At the same time, it is a partner in service with various Christian communities or movements. The original meaning of oikoumene opens the possibility of dialogue and cooperation even "with persons, groups and organizations that do not identify themselves with the Christian faith". Against this background the pressing question is: What can be the unique contribution of WARC in the present ecumenical situation?

WARC will continue to exist in solidarity with and in loyalty to the WCC. We accept the WCC as a principal ecumenical instrument and God's gift to the present century. We long for closer cooperation, division of labour and coordination of programmes so that duplication can be avoided.

WARC has a respectable tradition of 120 years labouring in the ecumenical field. It has contributed to the creation of an ecumenical atmosphere among Presbyterian and Reformed churches which was instrumental in establishing the WCC. Today WARC can play the role of theological catalyst in a wider ecumenical fellowship. WARC should aim at mobilizing its member churches to re-energize the ecumenical community.

WARC is just a partner in dialogue with others. However, in a situation of globalization and cultural fragmentation WARC can offer theological leadership and a point of orientation. WARC can help its member churches to meet the challenged and demands facing humanity on the threshold of the 21st century.

Is this just wishful thinking? In trust and repentance we turn to the triune God to give us new dreams and a new vision so that WARC may continue its distinguished ecumenical ministry. Veni Creator Spiritus!

The Alliance in the nineties

Against this background, let us look back and summarize the report "The Alliance in the Nineties", which was adopted by the 22nd general council in Seoul 1989 as a general guideline for the work of the WARC in the next period.¹

The report emphasizes that all the voices and theological perspectives of the Reformed worldwide fellowship should be heard and appreciated. It suggests that some churches in North America and Europe did not always recognize the full scope of the Reformed presence in the south, nor did they always realize that they could receive help and guidance from the churches in the southern hemisphere.

It notes that there have been significant changes in the situation of many Reformed churches. In some places they continue to grow. In other places membership is shrinking. Some churches have been involved in union discussions. On the other hand, new divisions have occurred. Some churches have been led to formulate their faith anew in response to the challenges of contemporary history. It is obvious that small churches are dependent on the fellowship of prayer, concern and communication available through the Alliance.

One of WARC's specific roles, it says, is to help its member churches to actively and effectively witness within the ecumenical movement. WARC is a platform on which common perspectives of Reformed churches can be developed. WARC can help to give a common account of the convictions and witness of Reformed churches. This has become especially obvious in the series of bilateral dialogues between the Reformed and other Christian communions.

WARC reminds the churches to transcend national boundaries if Christians are to tackle effectively problems having a global character. Significant action is possible if the churches constitute a real fellowship across and beyond national frontiers.

The struggle over apartheid clearly illustrated that WARC has a potential to be more than just a forum for non-committal discussion. It can become the instrument for making a united spiritual decision, as happened in Ottawa in 1982.

Today we may ask ourselves: is a similar action possible regarding weapons of mass destruction, gender, fully inclusive community? Theologically and ecclesiologically, the WARC constituency may not be ready for such a radical action. However, member churches should consider the struggle against global economic injustice and for ecological responsibility and sustainable life on the planet Earth as an integral part of their faith existence.

Individual churches, groups or associations of churches in different regions were requesting the practical solidarity of the Reformed family. In a number of places guidance was sought in dealing with the church-state relationship.

Progress in the work of WARC

With gratitude we can say that it was possible to expand the work of WARC in many respects. In Geneva, WARC was able to increase its executive and administrative staff to 15 people at present. There are five additional staff members who work in the regions. Only one of them works full-time for the regional body - the Southern Africa Alliance of Reformed Churches.

The executive committee worked in three departments (theology, cooperation and witness, finance) and in the group coordinating the work of PACT. The following committees were appointed:

Personnel committee,
Membership committee,
Partnership fund committee,
Central and eastern European fund committee,
Constitution and by-laws committee,
Youth committee,
John Knox liaison committee (discontinued in 1995),
Communications committee, and
the preparatory committee for the 23rd general council.

Officers and members of the executive committee have frequently participated in WARC consultations and conferences. Occasionally some of them represented WARC at the meetings of other Christian world communions. Visits to member churches were organized in connection with executive committee meetings in Geneva, São Paulo, Wellington, Pittsburgh and Yaoundé.

The work in the regions has intensified. The Caribbean and North American area council (CANAAC) has continued and expanded its work. In Europe, apart from regular meetings of the European area committee, a major assembly was organized, with the theme "Hope and renewal in times of change" (Edinburgh, August 28 to September 3 1995). The new regional structure in southern Africa (SAARC) vigorously pursued its work in biennial general meetings and a number of consultations. In 1995 a subregional area council was set up in northeast Asia, including Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan (and possibly China). Contacts have been deepened with the Association of Presbyterian and Reformed Churches in Latin America (AIPRAL) which became associated with WARC at the executive committee in Detmold 1996. A working relationship has been established with the Fellowship of Middle East Evangelical Churches. There is still a plan for initiating cooperation of the member churches in the Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion Island, and possibly also Djibouti and Comoros).

WARC has convened or co-sponsored a number of conferences and consultations as a part of the study of theological issues which impact the life of member churches and need to be clarified. Many of the papers delivered at these meetings were published in Reformed World or in the Studies series.

The programme on bilateral dialogues was coordinated by the department of theology. The second phase of the Roman Catholic-Reformed dialogue has been concluded.

The Orthodox-Reformed dialogue has continued, and four meetings have been organized (Minsk 1990, Kappel 1992, Limassol 1994 and Aberdeen 1996).

A new dialogue has been started with the Oriental Orthodox churches. Three meetings took place in Anba Bishoy, Egypt, 1993; Driebergen, Netherlands, 1994; and Kottayam, India, January 1997.

Another dialogue was initiated with representatives of the Pentecostal churches and the first meeting was held in Torre Pellice (May 1996). The next meeting is planned in Chicago in May 1997.

It needs to be examined whether the bilateral dialogues would not be more effective if they were also organized on a regional basis by the area councils.

The department of cooperation and witness was entrusted with many tasks at the beginning of the period after Seoul. Apart from human rights' work, twinning, and communication between churches, it was expected to coordinate women's concerns and information and publication work. An important consultation on refugees and displaced persons was held in October 1991. With time it was possible to establish an independent desk for PACT and later to appoint a communications secretary. The department was instrumental in establishing the Youth committee which recommended the creation of a temporary desk for children's and youth concerns. The department succeeded in strengthening WARC participation in the work of the UN human rights commission. WARC has sponsored interventions, eg on the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, etc. In cooperation with the general secretary, many interventions in the field of human rights and religious liberties were also made with heads of state and other government officials.

Through their travels, the executive staff and, to some extent, the officers and members of the executive committee have been able to visit many member churches in all continents. We have discovered that such personal visits are still the most effective means of communication. In the era of telephones, fax machines and email, it is still necessary to organize pastoral visits to member churches. Through these visits solidarity among Reformed churches and mutual support becomes visible and effective. The visitation programme needs if possible to be strengthened and expanded.

Since Seoul there have been numerous staff changes, with the departure of Rev Dr Seong-Won Park (seconded for the preparation of the 22nd general council), Rev Dr Edmond Perret (general secretary), Rev Dr James Van Hoeven (seconded for justice, peace and the integrity of creation), Rev Jill Schaeffer (cooperation and witness), Mr Jean-François Rochette (general treasurer), Rev Ursel Rosenhäger (seconded study secretary), and Rev Sarah Stephens (cooperation and witness). Appropriate appreciation was expressed for their services to the Alliance.

Prof Dr Milan Opocensky (Czech Republic) was installed as general secretary in Seoul and started work on October 1, 1989. The executive secretary of the department of theology, Dr Henry Wilson (India), started work on the same date. The Geneva staff was increased by the appointment of Mr Gerhard Dilschneider (Germany) as assistant to the general secretary as from February 1 1991. In this capacity, he was especially entrusted with the administration of the partnership fund and the central and eastern European fund.

A special fund-raising appeal made it possible to establish, as from September 1 1992, a desk for a programme relating to the partnership of women and men in church and society. The programme was named PACT (Programme to affirm, challenge and transform: Women and men in church and society). Through the appointment of Rev Dr Nyambura J Njoroge (Kenya), staff discussions and the work of WARC have been enriched by an African perspective.

One year later (from September 1 1993), a communications secretary (Rev Páraic Réamonn, Scotland), was appointed, who is partly seconded by the Church of Scotland and alternately supported by two member churches in Germany. Under his supervision, the quarterly Reformed World continues to be published on a regular basis, each issue dealing with a particular theme. The bulletin Update, started in the summer of 1991, has appeared four times a year in English, French, German and Spanish. The rate of publication in our Studies series has been increased.

Rev Anna Ljung (Sweden), was seconded by the SMU (Svenska Missionsförbundets Ungdom) and the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden to work with WARC for three years (1995-97), to create a network of youth workers in the member churches, and to prepare the Reformed youth forum in connection with the 23rd general council. For the first time in the history of WARC a staff member has a major concern for children and youth. WARC continues to be committed to ecumenical youth and student work.

After a one-year vacancy, a new executive secretary for the department of cooperation and witness was appointed as from September 1, 1995. Rev Dr Seong-Won Park (Korea) rejoined our staff, and brings a northeast Asian perspective to the daily work and discussions.

Through the work of the department of finance and its moderator, Dr Herbert Ehnes, and through the efforts of other people, it was possible to improve the financial situation of WARC considerably. Consequently, the work could be expanded and new appointments made. This has strengthened our organization and made WARC more visible. It should not be taken for granted that in the years 1989-1994 we have been able to close our books without a deficit. Over the years it became clear that for various reasons it is difficult for some member churches to send even a small contribution to the WARC budget. It has been possible, however, to mobilize some churches which had not contributed previously. In certain situations churches made contributions in kind, which are gratefully acknowledged.

The report "The Alliance in the Nineties" envisaged the revision and expansion of the "Special Services fund". This plan has been implemented beyond expectation. The partnership fund was established and new criteria introduced. In cooperation with the Association of the churches' development services (AGKED) in Germany and through generous giving from several other sources (member churches, parishes and other donors), it was possible to support a great number of projects in the southern hemisphere. This activity has greatly strengthened the bond of solidarity and mutual sharing among the member churches of WARC.

Out of the central and eastern European fund WARC was in a position to support the work of churches in the transition period after the dramatic changes in 1989-90. It was possible to contribute towards salaries of pastors in the former Yugoslavia and other countries. An outstanding contribution of WARC helped towards the purchase of a new facility in Prague for the Protestant theological faculty of Charles University.

The WARC offices in Geneva have been equipped with up-to-date computers and have joined the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation in creating a single computer network in the Ecumenical Centre. This is cheaper than running an independent network, and WARC can draw on a reliable in-house service.

In order to facilitate communication, all staff meet on a weekly basis for meditation, discussion and brief reports. The executive staff usually meet together once a month for more specific staff- and church-related matters. One-day retreats for all staff have also been organized. Staff meetings are an experience in developing sensitivity and respect for cultural and theological differences. Staff rules - the "Personnel policies and practices" - were introduced in the offices of the Alliance, which effectively guide this aspect of the work.

The Preparatory committee for the 23rd general council started work in Stockholm (July 1993). WARC accepted the invitation of the Reformed Church in Hungary, and decided to hold the 23rd general council in Debrecen (August 8-20 1997). The council meeting will be preceded by the Reformed youth forum and a women's conference. In Pittsburgh (July 1994) it was decided to invite Rev Dr Robert C. Lodwick (USA) as coordinator of the 23rd general council. He has been joined by an intern, Douglas Chial (USA) who started working on January 1 1996.

Executive committee meetings

August 10-16 1990: Geneva, Switzerland
August 2-12 1991: São Paulo, Brazil
July 30-August 7 1992: Wellington, New Zealand
July 21-July 30 1993: Stockholm, Sweden
July 20-29 1994: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
July 26-August 1 1995: Yaoundé, Cameroon
August 16-26 1996: Detmold, Germany

In 1990 Dr Allan A Boesak informed the executive committee of his resignation as WARC president. At the meeting of the executive committee in Geneva Dr Jane Dempsey Douglass was elected president and Benjamin Masilo was elected vice-president. At the same meeting Rev Samuel Dansokho was elected in place of Dr G Ambadiang de Mendeng, whose membership had been terminated. Dr Willy Roeroe was also elected to the executive committee.

At the 1991 meeting of the executive committee in São Paulo Rev Michael Davies was elected general treasurer, replacing Jean-François Rochette. Mr Davies resigned from the post of general treasurer in the summer of 1996.

In connection with meetings of the executive committee its members paid individual or team visits to WARC member churches in the surrounding areas.

WARC membership

Since the general council in Seoul (1989) the following churches have been received into WARC membership:

1990

Evangelical Church of the River Plate (Argentina)
Arab Evangelical Church, Brazil
Church of South India

1991

Union of Evangelical Congregational Churches in Bulgaria
Presbyterian Church in Korea (Daeshin)
Church of Christ in Central Nigeria (CCCN)
Church of Christ in Nigeria (EKAN)

1992

National Evangelical Union in Lebanon
Evangelical Church in French Polynesia
Christian Churches of Southern Sumatra (Indonesia)
United Evangelical Church of Christ (Philippines)
Fraternity of Costa Rican Evangelical Churches
Evangelical Church of New Caledonia

1993

Reformed Church of El Salvador
Reformed Christian Church in Croatia
Mara Evangelical Church in Myanmar
Church of the Brethren in the Slovak Republic
United Church of Christ in Nigeria (HEKAN)

1994

Evangelical Church in the Republic of Niger (EERN)
Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa
United Church of Christ in Mozambique
Volkskerk van Afrika
Evangelical Church of the Congo
National Presbyterian Church (Chile)
Reformed Christian Church in Slovenia
Presbyterian Reformed Church of Mexico
Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa

1995

Evangelical Church of Christ in Mozambique
Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria
Congregational Federation (United Kingdom)
Church of Christ in the Sudan among the Tiv (Nigeria)
Presbyterian Church in Korea (Hap Dong Chung Tong)
Evangelical Church of Maraland (India)

1996

Reformed Presbyterian Church in Uganda
Isua Krista Kohhran (India)
Reformed Presbyterian Church, Northeast India
Gereja Toraja Mamasa (Indonesia)
Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu
Ekalesia Niue
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (Mexico)
The Korean Presbyterian Church in America
Congregational Federation of Australia

Withdrawals from membership

1991
Congregational Union of New Zealand

1992
Evangelical Congregational Church of Brazil

1994
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (USA)

Consultations

The general secretariat organized a consultation on the church situation in South Africa. It was held in Johannesburg (March 1-5 1993) with 45 people in attendance. The purpose of the meeting was to obtain first-hand experience of church relations in South Africa, to inquire about the unification process between the Dutch Reformed Church in Africa and the Dutch Reformed Mission Church and to examine whether the Dutch Reformed Church had complied with the requirements of the 21st general council in Ottawa in 1982.²

The general secretariat organized a consultation with the theme "Towards a renewed dialogue" in Geneva (November 28-December 1 1994). This meeting examined the relationships between the "first"(radical) and "second" (magisterial) reformations. The question was whether it was possible to introduce a more comprehensive concept of the Reformation and whether a dialogue between various traditions could be renewed.³

Consultations held under the supervision of the departments of theology and cooperation and witness, PACT and the CEEF are reported on elsewhere.

Department of theology

March 25-28 1990: Reformed-Roman Catholic dialogue, Geneva, Switzerland: "Towards a common understanding of the church".
October 2-5 1990: second Reformed-Orthodox dialogue, Minsk, Belarus.
November 14-17 1990: consultation on "Christian community in a changing society", Pensier, Switzerland.
April 8-12 1991: consultation on "Mission in unity", Dakar, Senegal.
June 11-15 1991: consultation on "Islam in Asia" (LWF/WARC), Bangkok, Thailand.
March 9-15 1992: third Reformed-Orthodox dialogue, Kappel am Albis, Switzerland.
April 21-25 1992: consultation on "Bilateral dialogues", Princeton, N.J., USA.
June 26-29 1992, consultation on "Faith and economic justice", Geneva, Switzerland.
September 1-4 1992: consultation on "Religious fundamentalism: An Asian perspective" (WARC/BTESSC/CCA), Bangalore, India.
February 9-13 1993: consultation on "Who are we called to be?", Ghana, West Africa.
February 22-26 1993: consultation on "Christian fundamentalism" (WARC/LWF/PCPCU), Mülheim/Ruhr, Germany.
April 14-17 1993: consultation on "Who are we called to be?", Singapore
April 21-25 1993: "Mission in unity", Nigeria (visit leading to a consultation).
May 2-, 1993: first Reformed-Oriental Orthodox dialogue, Anba Bishoy monastery, Egypt.
October 18-23 1993: consultation on "The challenge of the emerging ecclesiologies to church renewal", Kampen, Netherlands.
January 7-14 1994: fourth Reformed-Orthodox dialogue, Limassol, Cyprus.
April 28-30 1994: consultation on "Who are we called to be?: Reformed self-understanding", Auburndale, USA.
May 1-2 1994: consultation on "Gospel and cultures", Auburndale, USA.
June 6-10 1994: consultation on "Christian-Muslim relations in Africa", Blantyre, Malawi.
August 12-24 1994: Issues in pastoral theology: A case study approach seminar (WARC/WCC), Bossey, Switzerland.
September 10-16 1994: second Reformed-Oriental Orthodox dialogue, Driebergen, Netherlands.
November 15-19 1994: consultation on "Ethnicity and nationalism: A challenge to the churches" (WARC/LWF/WCC), Colombo, Sri Lanka.
January 23-26 1995: consultation on "Witnessing in unity", Geneva, Switzerland.
April 26-29 1995: consultation on "Who are we called to be?": Reformed Self-Understanding, Belfast, N Ireland.
February 5-9 1996: consultation on "Gospel and cultures", Toraja, Indonesia.
May 15-20 1996: Reformed-Pentecostal dialogue,Torre Pellice, Italy.
June 10-14 1996: fifth Reformed-Orthodox dialogue, Aberdeen, Scotland.
January 10-15, 1997: third Reformed-Oriental Orthodox dialogue, Kottayam, Kerala, India.
May 11-15 1997: second Reformed-Pentecostal dialogue, Chicago (USA).

Department of cooperation and witness

October 7-14 1991 consultation on "Accompanying refugees and displaced persons", Pensier, Switzerland.
December 8-12 1994: planning committee for the project "Reformed faith and economic justice", Geneva, Switzerland.
March 26-31 1995: regional consultation on "Reformed faith and economic justice", Manila, Philippines.
October 12-17 1995: regional consultation on "Reformed Faith and Economic Justice", Kitwe, Zambia.
December 14-18 1995: planning committee for the project "Reformed faith and economic justice", Geneva, Switzerland.
April 21-26 1996: consultation on "Creation and Justice", Geneva, Switzerland.
May 11-17 1996: consultation on "Reformed Faith and Economic Justice", Geneva, Switzerland.

Programme to affirm, challenge and transform (PACT)

March 9-15 1994: consultation on "African women and men of Reformed tradition", Limuru, Kenya.
August 28 - September 3 1995: Workshop on "Community of Women and Men in the church", Edinburgh, Scotland.
October 18-24 1995: consultation on "Women and men of Reformed tradition in Asia and the Pacific", New Delhi, India.
February 9-13 1996: consultation for "Women of Reformed tradition in central and eastern Europe", Debrecen, Hungary.
June 13-19 1996: consultation on "Women and men of Reformed tradition in the Middle East", Ayia Napa, Cyprus.
November 20-27 1996: consultation on "Women and men of Reformed tradition in Latin America", Caracas, Venezuela.
January 30-February 3 1997: consultation on "Women and Men of Reformed Tradition in the Caribbean and North America", Decatur, GA, USA

WARC staff

Executive staff

Prof Dr Milan Opocensky: 1989-
Rev Dr Henry S. Wilson: 1989-
Rev Jill Schaeffer: 1985-1990
Rev Sarah Stephens: 1990-1994
Mr Gerhard Dilschneider: 1991-
Rev Dr Nyambura J Njoroge:1992-
Rev Páraic Réamonn: 1993-
Rev Ursel Rosenhäger (part-time): 1989-1992
Rev Anna Ljung: 1995-
Rev Dr Park Seong-Won: 1986-1990; 1995-
Rev Dr James van Hoeven: 1987-1990
Rev Dr Robert C. Lodwick: 1994-

Administrative staff

Joanne Weil: 1980-
Margaret Owen: 1987-
Renate Herdrich: 1988-
Claire-Anne Schober: 1990-93
Charlotte Ehrnberg: 1991-1994
Karin Wisniewski: 1993-
Valentine Mouther: 1994-1995
Mireille Benkabouche: 1994-
Sally Redondo: 1995-
Douglas Chial: 1996-

Visits of the general secretary

In the period from October 1989 to January 1997 the general secretary visited approximately 200 church headquarters, synods, local parishes, theological institutions, ecumenical assemblies, conferences and consultations in the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czechoslovakia (after the separation in 1993, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic), Denmark, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, USA, Venezuela, Yugoslavia and Zambia. Some churches have been visited twice and some even more often.

Ecumenical relations

From March 14-16, 1991 a WARC delegation visited the pontifical council for promoting Christian unity. On March 16 the WARC general secretary was received by his Holiness Pope John Paul II in a private audience. On December 11 1996, his All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I paid a visit to WARC and a meeting between representatives of the two bodies took place. In the past years many ecumenical visitors have paid a visit to the WARC headquarters in Geneva. Most of their names are recorded in the WARC guest book.

Western Africa

In the period since 1989 we have felt that the presence of WARC in western Africa should be strengthened. In 1992 a meeting of COREZA (Conférence reformée du Zaïre) was organized in Brazzaville. In August 1993 a consultation on "Reformed self-understanding" took place in Ghana. A seminar on "Church, power and democracy" was held in Dakar in the same month. Member churches in Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Niger, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic were invited to send representatives to the executive committee meeting in Yaoundé.

WARC general index

The former general secretary Rev Dr Edmond Perret worked for several years to prepare the general index, which includes all relevant data for years 1875-1992. This massive work was published in 1994. WARC is obliged to its former chief executive for his meticulous work.

Calvin's unpublished sermons

The volume Sermons on Isaiah (edited by Professor Francis Higman and others) was published by Neukirchener Verlag in 1995. Out of the fund earmarked for this purpose WARC contributed DM 45,000. The following volumes are in preparation under the able supervision of Dr Higman: Sermons on Jeremiah, on Acts, on the Epistles to the Corinthians and on Genesis.

Calvin's Auditorium

The WARC executive committee adopted the agreement between the National Protestant Church of Geneva and WARC on the Auditoire de Calvin on October 14 1987. It was agreed to create a committee on which WARC would be represented. Since 1989 meetings have taken place from time to time in which the general secretary and later the assistant to the general secretary participated. Because of financial losses it was agreed to reduce the budget for salaries in 1996 by cutting the hours during which the Auditorium would be open to the public. In the future it would be desirable to revitalize the work of the committee and to pay attention to the maintenance of the building.

Notes

1. "The Alliance in the Nineties", in From Ottawa to Seoul (Geneva: WARC, 1989), pp.108-112.

2. Páraic Réamonn, ed., Farewell to Apartheid? Church relations in South Africa, Studies from the World Alliance of Reformed Churches 25 (Geneva: WARC, 1994).

3. Milan Opocensky, ed., Towards a Renewed Dialogue: The First and Second Reformations, Studies from the World Alliance of Reformed Churches 30 (Geneva: WARC, 1996).